A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long to put up; I swear I have so many things to do for school, what with our sports interfering and all. But I had fun writing this chapter because FINALLY, we get to see Ron! And I promise, this one will have more substance than the last chapter. Special thanks to those who have reviewed; you keep this writer going when nothing else will. Oh, and I owe a special thanks to snHP892 for keeping up with this story. You've been a wonderful supporter, and I hope you're enjoying this as much as I am. Rock on!

CHAPTER SEVEN

Harry was deeply asleep in his bed, still dreaming about what just happened with Hermione. They had danced the night away, and Harry walked Hermione to the front door of the hotel before kissing her on the cheek. He had gone to bed with a fuzzy feeling in his brain, and only the barest bit of restraint kept him from dancing in the corridor leading to his room. He had passed Vittorio, who had looked at him in a favorably approving way just before turning the corner into his room.

THUD! THUMP! BANG! HARRRY!

The sudden banging on the door jerked Harry awake, who thought that the ceiling was falling down on him. Only when he heard his name did he realize that it was just someone at the door. Shoving his glasses on his face, he rolled out of bed; obviously disgruntled at the rudeness the person at the door was showing. Quite a rude contrast to what had happened the night before. The faintest bit of sunlight was already starting to filter through the drapes in his room, and a quick glance at his watch showed that it was only 4:45 in the morning.

When he got to the door, he gave a big yawn and a stretch. He needed to be quite alert when he was going to deal with this madcap idiot. Opening the door a crack, he was nearly thrown against the wall when a whirl of energy and limbs tossed the door open. "Harry, you mad dog! Why didn't you tell me you were here in Italy?" the person asked. Harry had to extricate himself from behind the door before taking a good look at this intruder. To any other person, this 'intruder' was possibly one of the most handsome men they had ever seen. Tall and redheaded, Ron seemed to have exchanged his characteristic gangliness for muscles and long and lean limbs. Gone was the lanky look Harry had been so familiar with all these years, and in its place was an auburn-haired demigod whose face could easily rival Eros'. But then again, the only thing that remained totally unchanged was the goofy grin that Harry recognized immediately.

"Could have sworn you looked less like a walking wet dream the last time I checked," Harry grinned, tousling his hair and giving a yawn. Ron glowed red in the ears. "Aw, c'mon Harry. You know me; I would have wanted to join you in the Quidditch team…" he said, obviously embarrassed. "Yeah, yeah. Some chick in a blazer gave you her card and the next thing you know you're the poster boy for the smallest pair of men's underwear ever conceptualized. What a deal." Harry teased. "Speak for yourself; last time I checked, you were London's most eligible bachelor with fan clubs in four continents. And that doesn't even include Europe." Ron smirked, lightly boxing his friend's arm.

"Spanking good to see you though. It's been what, five years?" Harry said, patting Ron's back. "Yeah. You know, you should consider visiting me in Rome once in a while. It gets tiring staying in your flat alone while all your other friends are out partying." He said, patting Harry's back as well then sinking onto the rumpled bed. "This is a pretty good place. Whenever I'm here for a shoot I make sure I stay here. Hermione taking care of you?" he asked. "We've spent time together. Actually I had dinner with her last night. When did you get in anyway? And why didn't you tell me that you were coming to town?" Harry asked.

Ron toed off his shoes and reclined back onto the pillows. "And have you accusing me of not visiting you in London? No way! Besides, I had to take the earliest flight out of Rome because it's murder getting in and out of an airport with all the reporters flocking around. As you very well know." He grinned from his relaxed position. "Why are you here anyway? Hermione didn't mention much in her last owl. She just said that you needed to relax from work and stuff. But knowing you, you hardly take a vacation, so something must be up. You mind telling me what?" Ron asked. The thought that Hermione and Ron kept in touch more often than they wrote him sent a faint twinge of jealousy through Harry, but he tried to reason with himself, saying that he hadn't been the most responsive when it came to writing owls.

"The team decided to send me here to make sure I don't blow over from too much stress. At first I thought they had gone insane because I was enjoying work too much. Then I came over to Italy, and I think they're right; I have been working too hard. I don't think I'm in a hurry to go home, come to think of it." Harry replied. "Yeah, they were right. Who would have thought that you would get so much out of looking for a tiny golden ball with wings all day? Not that it's a bad thing; I'm just saying that you should get out more. Have you been seeing anyone lately?" Ron queried. "There hasn't been anyone since Janina." Harry quietly answered. "Bully for her. She's an idiot for having gone out with that teammate of yours. He doesn't measure even half of what you are, so don't take it seriously." Ron airily said. "How about you then? Knowing you, you're probably chasing everything in skirts." Harry ribbed. Ron turned pink. "Uhrm…I've gone out with some girls here and there. I can't seem to find the right one though." He said. Funny though; neither can I. Harry thought to himself.

As usual, Hermione was waiting for Harry in the breakfast room. Last night had been so lovely, she couldn't sleep that night. Everything had been perfect, from her dress to the goodnight kiss Harry gave her. She could have floated away into the clouds; it was that wonderful.

"Hermione!" a jaunty voice called from the entrance to the breakfast room.

When she turned around, she was faced with two of the most handsome men she had ever seen, but one of them far more handsome than the other. One of them was redheaded, and he was turning heads when he passed by. The brunette beside him was also turning heads, but it was Hermione's heart that was tripping over him.

"Ron!" she called, standing up and waving. The waiters and the waitresses whispered among themselves that Harry Potter (the Boy who Lived and the Seeker for the National Quidditch team of London) and Ron Weasley (the stud muffin male model) were both staying in the hotel and they were friends with their general manager. "Hi Hermione; or should I call you Signora Granger?" Ron teased. Hermione mock-frowned at him. "You know I hate being called that. What happened to the days when I was just Hermione?" she asked in a tone that suggested that they had had this argument several times. "Ah well; you know me. I can't help but tease you about your job when all Harry and I are good for is looking good." Ron hit back.

Harry was listening to their banter, feeling the jealousy in him increase. How could he have missed so many good times? Granted, he was devastated when Janina cheated on him, leaving him empty and cold inside. Why would he purposely want to shut these two out of his life? But before he could depress himself further, Hermione's voice cut through his thoughts. "Harry, good morning. You must have had a right nasty shock when Ron barged into your room this morning eh?" she grinned. Harry abandoned his thoughts for the moment; he did not need a distraction this early in the morning.

"Ripped through it is more like it. He kept me up until Vittorio came in to check on the room, and even then Ron was still in the showers whistling like he had just woken up." Harry said. "Right. But what can I do about it? I'm already used to being up early in the morning." Ron shrugged. Hermione chuckled at Harry's expression of exasperation. "Come on you two. Sit down already and let's order breakfast."

A waiter came up to them and took their orders (a fruit-filled croissant for Hermione, bacon and eggs with a side of hash browns for Harry, and three sunny-side up eggs with a side order of French toast for Ron), and he left them marveling at the size of the boys' orders. Hermione was already used to the volume of food they both consumed, so she wasn't so apt to tease about the food they ate. "Thanks for a wonderful evening last night Hermione; I enjoyed it a lot." Harry said, holding Hermione's hand in thanks. Hermione bobbed her head in acknowledgment. "You're very welcome Harry. You never mentioned that you could dance well, only that you took lessons." She said. Ron looked incredulous. "You? Dance? Harry, what else have I missed?" he inquired. Harry laughed. "Get that look off your face Ron; I haven't gone gay. I just took them for the hell of it. To tell you the truth, they kind of help you keep your balance while you're on a broom. I recommend it." "He's a natural you know. Nobody would have guessed he's not a beginner." Hermione gushed, her face glowing with something more than just excitement. Ron noticed the glow, but Harry did not. Instead he let go of her hand and coolly asked, "Have you guys been keeping in touch often?"

Ron and Hermione looked guiltily at each other. "We tried to keep in touch with you Harry; but you were impossible to talk to. Janina tore your heart into two and naturally you've broken down. But since you're feeling much better…"Hermione began. "What she means Harry is that although we tried to keep in touch with you, you hardly answered our owls. We thought you'd given up on the world. Now you're happier and more contented, we'd be glad to write you back," Ron hastily added on. The words were comforting, but the jealousy that had been growing in his chest grew a little bit more. It was irrational, but he could not explain why. "Cool it you two; it's alright. I just wanted to know how you both were doing," Harry said, focusing his attention on a vase of flowers in between the three of them. Ron and Hermione shifted uneasily in their seats as they desperately tried to look for neutral grounds for conversation. Fortunately, the timely appearance of Vittorio by their table did just that. "And how are we this morning, Signore Granger? And Harry, I trust you slept well before Signor Weasley arrived?" he asked in his smooth-as-chocolate voice. Harry chuckled, "Of course Vittorio. I'm quite accustomed to Signor Weasley's ways." Hermione stepped in, saying, "We're doing fine Vittorio. Ron, this is Vittorio. He's in charge of yours and Harry's suite while you're here. If you need anything, you can go talk to him." Ron looked up at him, and then held out his hand for him to shake. "Nice to meet you. Vittorio." Ron said. The valet looked curiously at him, but bowed his way out, saying that he had chores to finish before lunchtime.

"Oh damn, that's right. I have a business meeting in half an hour. I really must leave now…Ron, have you anything planned for today?" Hermione asked. Ron put on an expression of thought. "I was thinking that I should show Harry around the city, if you haven't done that. Or we can just hang out, do guy stuff." He said. "Harry, will you be okay?" Hermione inquired. Harry leaned back in his chair. "If you mean will I be alright with Ron, sure. But if you mean will I stay safe with him around, I can't guarantee you that. You know the shenanigans we get into." Harry teasingly grinned. "Shenanigans? Me?" Ron innocently asked, but unfortunately for them both, Hermione rolled her eyes. "Unfortunately for you, I no longer have to make sure you keep your noses clean. Anyway, have fun you two. I'll see you around." She waved, walking out of the breakfast room.

When she was safely out, Ron smiled at Harry. "What shall we do today?" he asked in a voice that only imitated innocence. "Well…there are not a lot of things we can pull. The village is really small; there's nothing I haven't seen already so your plans of showing me around might have to differ in terms of location. And not to add insult to injury, but I'm already starting to get bored. I'd try anything with a little more pace to it, y'know?" Harry answered. "I can show you the city then. I've been there loads of times for shoots and for promotional parties. It's more your speed." Ron smiled.

The two of them zipped down to the city on scooters they rented for the day. It was totally metropolitan, a completely different setting than the village. There were real skyscrapers with concrete sidewalks and everything. The people there were mostly young and chic, sporting shopping bags and backpacks instead of chickens and baskets of vegetables. Harry felt a sense of familiarity wash over him. This was the setting he was more accustomed to, and he suddenly felt like he was back home in England. "This is more like it." Ron grinned, parking his scooter and taking off his helmet. Harry could only nod and gaze around. "What's wrong? You okay?" Ron asked, noticing the expression on Harry's face. "It's nothing…I'm actually more interested in knowing how you got so Muggle-oriented." He replied. Ron shrugged. "I had to learn, because the Muggle world started to hire me for their products as well. But I still don't understand the concept of the tellerphone." He answered. Harry laughed. "Telephone Ron. Honestly, whatever would we do with you?"

They set off for the nearest strip mall. Ron was apparently very comfortable with his being a celebrity because all the girls stopped him for his and Harry's autograph and picture. It didn't seem to bother him at all, but it made Harry a little irritated. He should be on his vacation, for crying out loud! At least Ron was gracious enough to leave his adoring fans when he noticed Harry was looking a little tired of all the attention. "Sorry about that mate; I forgot you were on vacation," Ron grinned sheepishly. "It's okay. I think I'm past that stage where I think that I'm absolutely obliged to give everyone an autograph. No offense meant though," Harry quickly said. Ron just gave a shrug. "Hey, let's go to one of my favorite espresso bars here. They serve the best coffee and it's totally private. It's the one place I can go have a cup of joe and not be harassed by reporters and such." He suggested.

They walked around a little more where they came to a stop in front of a classy-looking establishment. The design was modern and it had those blinking lighted doors in the front. "Welcome to Fabiola's, the best coffeehouse you will ever go to," Ron smiled. A waiter let them in and led them to a table near the back. Apparently, this is where the elite of society went to see and be seen. The very air reeked of extravagance. "It's a little overwhelming. When you're used to seeing chickens and cows on the road, you're suddenly missing them when you sit in a place like this. It's incredible though; you actually have to get dressed up for coffee." Harry remarked. "Yeah? I was totally spastic when I first came here. I ordered the simplest thing I could recognize on the menu, and even that was a total disaster. You don't want to know." Ron said, flicking the paper napkin that was artfully arranged on its holder.

A pretty waitress took their order. Ron took his time flirting with her, being as charming as he could possibly be. Harry just watched him in action, trying to remember a time when he had been as flirtatious. Sadly, he couldn't recall anything. Ron ordered a fancy-sounding espresso mix, and when the waitress turned to him for his order, Harry just held up both his hands and ordered the same thing Ron did.

While waiting for their drinks, Harry looked around the place some more. The tiles were speckled and expensive. "Now that I have your undivided attention, may I ask what the hell is going on between you and Hermione?" Ron asked. The question jolted Harry quite a bit. "Huh? Hermione? Nothing's happening with us Ron, why would you think that?" he asked. "Well, during breakfast you were quite miffed over the idea of me and Hermione keeping in touch more than we kept in touch with you. You also looked quite possessive, the way you held her hand. Is there anything you want to explain?" Ron hinted in a semi-mocking voice. Harry frowned. "Nothing's going on between us Ron, you know that. We're just friends."

Ron raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't get mad at me mate, it was just an observation. But anyway, I guess I should explain right off that the way she bugs me for what happens to you and stuff is quite an indicator. And like I said at breakfast, you look at her differently now. From what I'm thinking, you two have quite a thing going on. What do you think?" he asked.

"You know, I haven't really thought about it." Harry lied. But if you say she annoys you about me, I think I really should be thinking about it. Especially since I've got a whole new set of feelings for Hermione now.

A/N: Aiee! Harry's thinking about it! Now that the lot of you has seen Ron, what do you think? Have I done the cliché thing right? The storyline is slowly picking up now…expect a twist a couple of chapters from now. Tell me what your ideas are!